Benjamin,
I agree with what John said but I can add some more. You were also right about the word, "technician" just sounding more professional, so that is one reason. To be an RPT, as you know, requires more than tuning skills. It also requires a certain amount of general knowledge.
Our organization formed 60 years ago. 100 years ago, there were more than 300 piano manufacturers operating in the USA. Nearly every middle class or above home had a piano. There was a lot larger demand then for tuning services. One could have easily specialized only in tuning and refer most repairs and regulation to specialists. Piano Tuners often learned that skill on one of the factories.
The Great Depression decimated the piano industry but after World War II, there was an economic boom and the manufacturers that were left began making the smaller, more affordable instruments. TV and radio were available but still, many middle class homes bought one of these and they mostly only needed tuning so once again, a person could make a good living being simply a piano tuner.
As time went on, the industry diminished but the pianos were still around but now, they needed more than tuning. It became necessary to have a wider set of skills in order to make a living. PTG always promoted the idea of being a Piano Technician rather than a piano tuner. There were some people who did not like the idea and still wanted to remain simply tuners. That is still possible, of course but it relegates a person to Associate Membership only.
These days, we like to lend some dignity to any job. That is why what used to be called "car mechanics" are known as Automotive Technicians. The modern automobile is after all, far more complex than it used to be so to be an automotive technician, you have to go to school and get certified for it. We call restaurant workers, "servers" rather than waiter or waitress. We have Flight Attendants rather than stewards or stewardesses. We have maintenance staff or custodians rather than janitors. I am sure there are many more examples of how society has tried to lend some dignity to all kinds of service professions.
I have always found it interesting, however that in the French language culture, the way they view the equivalents of both "tuner" and "technician" is exactly the opposite of the way we do. To the French,
un accordeur de pianos is a dignified title whereas to call someone
un technicien de pianos is very demeaning. Spanish speaking culture is similar:
un afinador de pianos sounds far more dignified than,
un técnico de pianos.
So, I would say it is up to you and your prerogative as to how you may think of yourself and what you prefer to call yourself. People still do ask the question about "piano technician". The general public may most often view the terms interchangeably so with your clients, it probably does not matter but when you interact with PTG Members, just be advised that most of them would prefer to be called piano technicians rather than piano tuners, even among those for whom tuning is their primary skill.
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William Bremmer
RPT
Madison WI
608-238-8400
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2017 16:01
From: John Formsma
Subject: Tuner or Technician?
Most likely it is because a technician is a person who (ostensibly) can work on all parts of the piano and not just a person who adjusts the tension of the strings.
I call myself a piano technician or a tuner-technician. I doubt any of my customers care one whit about this distinction.
You'd be amazed at some of the "repairs" I've seen. I'd have to guess those were done by those we call "tooners." Not much skill for repairs and regulation, but some of them have learned how to tune reasonably well. I'm sure we all have many stories about tooners.
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John Formsma, RPT
New Albany MS
Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2017 15:45
From: Benjamin Sanchez
Subject: Tuner or Technician?
Hello all,
I was wondering, why do we take offense at being called tuners? Technically, we are technicians. I know that. But, throughout the centuries we have been called tuners. Only in recent decades has there been an effort to switch our title over to "technicians".
Maybe it's just that Technicians sounds more professional. It probably is. But, I still take pride in making someone's favorite instrument sound better. I suppose I like being called the piano tuner. It was a title of distinction for centuries. It is one I'll wear with honor now.
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Benjamin Sanchez
Professional Piano Services
(805)315-8050
www.professional-piano-services.com
BenPianoPro@comcast.net
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